Elena McGarry

Elena McGarry is the Development Manager for DACH at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. She is responsible for the development and growth of IHG’s brand portfolio across the DACH region, particularly in Germany and Austria.

Mudassir Naqib

Mudassir Naqib is the Development Director for South West Asia at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for the development and growth of IHG’s brand portfolio across the region.

Ram Narayanan

Ram Narayanan is the Senior Development Manager for Indonesia at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for the expansion of IHG’s brand portfolio across Indonesia.

Ram brings over 14 years of real estate and project experience across Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Prior to IHG, he was with Pomeroy Studio in Singapore as property & real estate associate. Prior to that, he was Head of Business Development and International Sales at Sinar Mas Land in Indonesia, where he specialised in negotiations for international joint ventures and managed property development cycles, with some exposure to hotel resort planning and management contracts.

His past experience also includes roles in the proptech sector with Cloud Kitchens, management consulting with Deloitte, and with the Malaysian Government as a public transport regulator. 

Ram holds an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Durham and has lived and worked across 5 countries.

Elliot Newton

Elliot Newton is the Development Director for UK & Ireland at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for growing IHG's development opportunities encompassing luxury, upscale and mainstream opportunities through managed and franchised deal structures in one of IHG’s key global markets.

Prior to joining IHG, he was most recently Development Director for Louvre Hotels Group, where he established the development & asset management strategy for the Group in the UK & Ireland.

Born and raised in Teesside, Elliot studied at Newcastle University before working in a broad spectrum of roles across the hospitality sector. He began his career at Holiday Inn Scotch Corner, with Cairn Hotel Group, before progressing into various corporate office roles at IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton.

James Oh

James Oh is Development Director for South East Asia & Korea at IHG®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. Based in Seoul, James is responsible for the strategic growth of IHG brands in Korea. 

James brings 14 years of experience in real estate and hospitality industry, in various roles in some of the largest real estate asset management firms in Korea, from investments to ownership and asset management of hotels. With his knowledge and experience in hotel ownership companies, James has a strong understanding of the needs of hotel owners and is well versed to provide creative investment structures to drive successful outcomes.

Prior to joining IHG, he was Investment Director for Aju Hotels & Resorts, where he successfully led an acquisition of four hotels in the U.S. with diversified structures. Prior to Aju, James was the Head of Hotel Investment at Mirae Asset Global Investments where he led multi-billion dollar hotel investment deals and handled the firm's hotel group strategies. Before joining Mirae, he was with IGIS AMC where he spearheaded outbound commercial real estate investments.

James also held various roles in hotel brokerage and consultancy. He was previously the Country Representative for Hodges Ward Elliott, where he led the firm’s brokerage business development in Asia, and provided tailored solutions for investors hotel acquisitions.

James holds a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from New York University and is a registered fund manager in the Republic of Korea.

Nicolas Petrone

Nicolas Petrone implements the long-term franchise distribution strategy for IHG’s mainstream brands in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia. His responsibilities include driving the strategic placement of new-build and conversion hotels, maximizing the quality and scale of each property, and forging strong relationships with franchisees in these markets.

Prior to joining IHG, Nicolas developed his hotel industry expertise over more than a decade as Director of Franchise Development for Choice Hotels and Director of Franchise Development for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. His extensive experience in franchise development has equipped him with a keen understanding of market dynamics and strategic growth.

Outside of work, Nicolas seeks excitement through travel, boating, and spending quality time with his family.

Fabrizio Piolanti

Fabrizio Piolanti is Director Development for Italy at IHG^®, one of the world’s leading hotel companies. He is responsible for the expansion of IHG’s brand portfolio in Italy.

Fabrizio boasts an extensive knowledge of the Italian market with over 15 years of experience in corporate roles, operations, and consulting. Prior to IHG, he was Development Director at Marriott International and has executed both limited and premium brands projects, in urban and resort destinations. He also gained experience in EY’s and JLL’s Hospitality teams in Milan, where he led multiple operator selection processes, valuations, feasibility studies and transaction assignments.

Fabrizio holds a master’s degree in Tourism economics from Bocconi University in Milan.

 

Lindsey Powers

Lindsey Powers is the Director of Franchise Development for IHG across Oklahoma and Northern Texas. In her role, Lindsey steers development efforts for IHG’s seven mainstream brands: Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Garner, and Atwell Suites. Since joining IHG in 2022, Lindsey has supported hotel developers across the Western and Central U.S., helping them expand into new brands and geographies with her relationship-driven approach to franchise growth.

Before IHG, she worked in the staffing industry, helping organizations address critical workforce needs, and gained experience in residential real estate while working at Berkshire Hathaway, where she developed a strong foundation in client relations and market analysis. Lindsey holds a degree in Business Administration from Eastern Illinois University, where she played volleyball. Now based in Austin, Texas, Lindsey enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, and cheering on the Purdue Boilermakers.

Praveen Reddy

Praveen supports the development of IHG’s Mainstream brands and growth activities for the US East team. Praveen has been with IHG since 2017 and prior to joining the Development team, led major initiatives within Hotel Lifecycle and Growth (HLG), Procurement, and Reservation Customer Care (RCC) departments. Praveen holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee. Residing in Alpharetta, Georgia, Praveen is married with 2 teenage children and also enjoys playing golf, tennis and watching his Tennessee Volunteers and Dallas Cowboys.